Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Rogue Trooper Classics Vol. #1

Collapse
X
Collapse
  •  
    Nolando
    Senior Member

  • Rogue Trooper Classics Vol. #1



    Released by: IDW Publishing
    Released on: May 14, 2014


    This release collects the first five stories of this series created by author Gerry Finley-Day and artist Dave Gibbons, presented here in color as well (those duties falling to Adrian Salmon, who's been doing the same excellent work with the Judge Dredd re-releases).

    The stories all take place on Nu-Earth, a hellscape of a planet that's the center of the war between the Norts and the Southers. The latter have created a type of super-solider, a genetically-enhanced infantryman or “G.I.” that can breathe the planet's toxic environment and is generally tougher than the average soldier. Their blue skin is a giveaway to their genetic history but, also, their gear allows each soldier to snag the brain chip of a fellow G.I. and implant it. The lone survivor of a devastating battle, Rogue Trooper carries Gunnar, Bagman and Helm with him as he traverses the hostile landscape, trying to discover what, exactly, happened to his whole team in the “Quartz Massacre.”

    [SPOILERS ABOUND]




    This first story introduces the character and his embedded companions as he races to knock out a Nort'er gun emplacement pinning down some Sout'er soldiers. Most of them are rookies so their sergeant tells them the story of the gene troopers. He also explains that, as the lone survivor looking for answers, he's being viewed as a deserter by the military higher-ups and they're supposed to be on the hunt for the Rogue Trooper as well. But this sergeant wishes him luck in his quest and doesn't turn him in.




    The next story, Tower of Death, has Rogue continuing on his quest, and getting attacked by some Nort'er troops who figure they can sneak up on him and cut his oxygen supply line. They're quite surprised to find that he has none and their gawking costs them their lives. Immediately after disposing of them, though, Rogue is capture by Sout'er military police and dragged before their local colonel. Rogue demands answer for the Quartz Massacre but before the enraged official can do anything a Nort'er sniper fires a “seal-burster” at them all, which breaks their protective camp barrier, causing all but one of them to perish. Gunnar tells this survivor to throw him to Rogue who then uses that gun to expertly take out the sniper. The surviving MP is overwhelmed with amazement, leaving Rogue to continue on his path.




    The third story is Crystal Nightmare, wherein Rogue finds himself in a glass-covered place, the sand having been made so through the use of heat-bomb attacks. It's also just like the ground at the Quartz Massacre site and that allows for some description of that battle. Rogue, exhausted, finally falls asleep and dreams about the attack, when they realized it was a trap, and how Gunnar died the first time. When a G.I. dies another only has :60 seconds in which to cut out their brain's microchip before it's lost forever. That's what Rogue is able to do to “save” Gunnar, using his laser-scalpel and putting his personality-implanted chip into Gunnar's rifle. Rogue awakens from this nightmare, only to find a Nort patrol descending upon his location. Gunnar, though, has gone into self-cleaning mode so Rogue grabs that laser-scalpel and opens up several protective suits, Gunnar being ready just at the very last minute to be able to shoot the rest of them. Rogue is upset at Gunnar and lets them all know that if he dies out here, they all do, too.




    The fourth story, Clash In Doomsday Valley, finds Rogue on the edge of a “mek-fight,” huge, lethal armored tanks from both sides, blasting away at each other. But when he sees a Nort “Blackmare” tank mercilessly cut down fleeing Sout'er pilots, Gunna protests at their inaction. His loudness alerts the tank's sound-radar and, soon enough, Rogue is fighting the huge machine for his life. He sets up Gunnar and the others to talk out loud and act like a squad, distracting the tank operators so he can use grenades to blow open a hatch, exposing the Nort'ers to the lethal atmosphere. The pilots die thusly and make the vehicle veer away from Gunnar and the others at the last moment.




    The fifth and final story here is titled Terror of the Decapitators. The items referenced are the lethal Nort'er drones, a group of which is swarming Rogue's way. One detonates and the other couple linger, hoping to pick off any survivors. But Rogue knows this so he stays deathly still, using the time to remember Bagman's death in that earlier massacre. A sneak attack behind their position kills him, leaving just his backpack intact and so, laser-scalpel at the ready, Rogue is able to get his micro-chip and incorporate him into his own gear. Meanwhile, the Nort'er speed ship returns and, seeing the G.I.'s motionless body, figures to take it back to their own scientists. Rogue, though, is playing possum and when they open their hatch doors to retrieve both their decapitators and his body, he's able to pop up and shoot one of the drones so that it explodes and destroys the entire ship. Rogue once again then admonishes his items to all work as a team, if they have any hope of survival.




    If you've never had the chance to read this fantastic series from 2000 A.D. this collection represents your best opportunity to do so. With a Sgt. Rock-like storytelling from Finley-Day and truly fantastic artwork from Gibbons, this colorized version of the original stories is an absolute must-have and an excellent companion to IDW's new version of this story that's just come out this year.
      Posting comments is disabled.

    Latest Articles

    Collapse

    Working...
    X